That didn't happen at Samar. The Japanese heavies rolled over the U.S. destroyer-escort screen to pursue the "Jeep" carriers: Admiral Kurita unwisely (thank God) signalled a "general pursuit" which scattered his force. One of the American tin cans did manage to torpedo a big Japanese cruiser, but they didn't lay a glove on the BB's.
If Kurita had followed his orders and let the carriers go, to turn the corner and descend on the Leyte beaches, he'd have done us enormous hurt and could possibly have caught and killed General MacArthur, who was stubbornly clinging to his command post aboard a damaged light cruiser close to the beach. She'd have been duck soup under the Japanese heavy guns, and so would he, corncob pipe and all.
To use BB's for sea lane control you have to have a flotilla of smaller craft supporting them.
That's been recognized ever since torpedo boats took on and destroyed the heavy armored cruiser Blanco Encalada and killed the faction leader sheltering aboard her, during the Chilean Civil War of the 1890's. Big ships of whatever type have always been attended by screens ever since.